The exemplary embodiments relate to quantifying the quality of the way electronic forms are filled out and electronic data is submitted.
In the mortgage application process it is often a broker who takes the application while a separate entity, a processor, processes and closes the loan. The broker together with the applicant fills out application relevant forms, collects information and assembles a dossier. Both parties (the broker and the processor) do have slightly different objectives. The broker wants to minimize his or her workload by completing the forms as quickly as possible. Completeness and the quality of the data is not a high priority; the application has to be just “good” enough that the processor accepts it. For the broker a missing phone number or even a missing social security number or implausible social security number (such as a number with not enough digits) may be acceptable. Incorrect or missing entries however create work for the processor who either will reject the submitted documents or will have to research the missing entries.
Another similar situation arises when people fill out forms over the Internet. Generally some kind of verification is performed and the forms are either accepted or rejected based on the verification method.
Microsoft's Visual Studio offers a solution for evaluating forms. Visual Studio 2005 is the latest MICROSOFT® development platform for software development (MICROSOFT® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond Wash. 98052-6399, 425.882.8080). Visual Studio 2005 will be released by late 2005 or early 2006. Visual Studio 2005 includes a typical framework for form validation. Microsoft explains the use of validation as:                If any of the validators are found to be in error, the submission of the form to the server is cancelled and the validator's text property is displayed. This permits the user to correct the input before submitting the form to the server.See http://samples.gotdotnet.com/quickstart/aspplus/doc/webvalidation.aspx (Sep. 4, 2005). As those of ordinary skill in the art recognize, “validators” are objects with methods to verify the validity of an entry in a field of a control. As pointed out in the above statement, the validators have two states: i) indicating an error or ii) no error. An error meaning that the entry into the control validated by the validator is invalid. If any validator on a form indicates an error, then the form is rejected by the server and the user has no other option than to either not submit the form or correct the error.        
Other sources also discuss validation methods. Another Microsoft website contains an article by Mr. Billy Hollis on the use of “ErrorProviders.” This website article contains a screen shot at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnadvnet/html/vbnet04082003.asp (Sep. 5, 2005). This screenshot shows that some input controls do have errors indicated by the icon of the error control. Mr. Hollis discusses different ways on how to recognize errors in data entered into controls and how to give a feedback to the user, based on these errors. But the website doesn't address the question of what to do if errors are recognized—meaning that invalid or no data has been entered by the user. The website simply assumes that the user is forced to correct the invalid data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,029 takes a serial approach. As this patent explains, “running the script may check to see that the field was answered correctly and if so, go to the next appropriate field.” This patent also uses an “either or” decision. An error of violation of a rule blocks the whole process.
Despite all these conventional solutions, in many cases it would be preferable to have a more subtle decision process than just accept or reject a form or a set of forms. Even with a missing entry an application or order may be of value. Given the missing information however, the application would be of lesser value. Thus completely rejecting the application just because of a missing or invalid entry may not be a good business decision. But neither is it a good business decision to let a broker supply incomplete applications or to accept any incomplete or invalid application, as this creates additional costs to the processor. There is, then, a need in the art for quantifying the quality of the data and completeness of electronic forms and the quality of submitted electronic data.